Unit 8B: Nigerian Political Parties and Institutions

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Unit 8B Nigerian Political Parties and
Institutions

• Readings
• Almond 710-725
• Reserve Readings

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Announcements

• Final examination distributed.
• Readings are on reserve.
• Links for Russia and Nigeria on the website.

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Guiding Questions

• 1) What does federalism in Nigeria look like?
• 2) How are Nigerian political institutions
  structured?
• 3) What are the major political parties in
  Nigeria?
• 4) How is judicial authority structured in
  Nigeria.

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Nigerian Institutions

• State of flux since independence.
• 5 coups, three constitutions, annulment of
  elections.
• Shift from parliamentary to presidential system
  during democratic transition.
• Current political parties have a basis in the
  post independence regime.

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Constitution of 1999

• Several aspects drawn from the annulled elections
  of 1993 and the 1995 constitution.
• System is based on the American presidential
  model.
• Separation of powers coupled with federalism.

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Federalism

• Rooted in colonial era.
• 1960 constitution divided authority between the
  center and three regions.
• Factored into every subsequent constitution.
• Attempts to impose a unitary system in the face
  of ethnic tensions unsuccessful.

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Federalism (cont.)

• All levels of government draw their funding from
  oil revenue.
• States where the oil is found gain a larger share
  of the profits.
• Dividing oil revenue amongst the states/regions
  has been a hotly debated topic.
• Lack of trust across regions/ethnic groups create
  calls for increased autonomy in the South.
• Over time, the number of states has been
  increased to respond to tensions from 3 to 36.

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State Election Results

• PDP controls 28 of 36 states.
• ANPP controls 7 of 36 states.
• APGA controls one state.
• AD controls Lagos (largest city).

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Federalism (cont.)

• Federal character program ensures that federal
  positions are doled out in proportion to ethnic
  background.
• Competence based on level of education would
  favor the southern regions.
• Three tiered federalism (central, state, local)
  is unusual.
• Arguably makes experimentation difficult at the
  local level.
• Three tiers expands the size of the public sector.

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Presidency

• Directly elected.
• 4 year term.
• Two term limit.
• Head of state and head of government.
• Heads the Federal Council (Cabinet) of 19
  ministries.
• Appoints the Cabinet.
• Elections were not deemed fair.
• President YarAdua of the PDP declared elected.

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Legislature

• Collectively known as the National Assembly.
• Bicameral system.
• 109 seats in the Senate.
• 360 seats in the House of Representatives.
• Representation of the states in the Senate, the
  population in the House.
• Power to make laws invested by the Constitution.
• Relations between the executive and the
  legislative branches still to be determined.

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Senate

• 109 senators.
• 3 from each state.
• Direct election.
• States divided into 3 regions, each electing one
  senator.
• Capital (Abuja) elects one senator.

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Senate elections 2003

• PDP 53.7 ? 76 seats.
• ANPP 27.9 ? 27 seats.
• AD 9.7 ? 6 seats
• Turnout 49.2

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House of Representatives

• 360 seats.
• Direct election FPTP.
• Elected at the same time as the Senate.
• Most have no previous legislative experience.

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House elections 2003

• PDP 54.5 ? 223 seats.
• ANPP 27.4 ? 96 seats.
• AD 8.8 ? 34 seats.
• Others 9.3 ? 6 seats.
• 1 Vacant.

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Parties

• Re-emerged after Abacha with their ethnic bases
  intact.
• Three parties win elections at the national
  level.
• One party is dominant.

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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

• Rooted in the Northern region.
• Hausa-Fulani support.
• Won the elections of 1999, 2003, and 2007.
• Party has created the coalitions necessary to win
  the presidency (draws support from the south).
• Center-right.
• Neoliberal economic socially conservative.
• Supported right of northern states to apply
  Sharia law to Muslims.

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All Nigeria Peoples Party

• Conservative Islamic party.
• Strong in the north amongst Muslims.
• Strongest opposition party.

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Alliance for Democracy (AD)

• Progressive party.
• Center-left.
• Merged with other parties to form a united front
  on the left.
• Holds political control of Lagos (largest city).

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Judiciary

• Continuous existence despite presence of military
  dictatorships.
• Traditional leaders exert influence via judicial
  institutions at the state level.
• Northern states create secular and Sharia based
  courts.
• Supreme Court is the highest court in the land.

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Conclusions

• Freedom House considers partly free (political
  rights-4, civil rights-4).
• Executive strength not as pervasive as
  previously.
• Instability of regime reduces time horizons.
• Instability has also weakened political
  experience of legislators.
• Northern dominance still a subject of debate.

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Next Lecture

• Nigerian Political Institutions.
• Nigerian Political Issues.
• Prospects for Nigeria.
• Readings Almond 725-734 and reserve readings.